2024 Wilmington mayoral election
{{Short description|none}}
{{use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox Election
| election_name = 2024 Wilmington mayoral election
| country = Wilmington, Delaware
| flag_image =
| type = presidential
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2020 Wilmington mayoral election
| previous_year = 2020
| next_election = 2028 Wilmington mayoral election
| next_year = 2028
| election_date = {{Start date|2024|11|5}}
| image1 = John C. Carney Jr. White House (cropped).jpg
| nominee1 = John Carney
| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
| popular_vote1 = 24,191
| percentage1 = 100.00%
| map_image =
| map_size =
| map_caption =
| title = Mayor
| before_election = Mike Purzycki
| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)
| after_election = John Carney
| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
The 2024 Wilmington mayoral election was held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, to elect the mayor of Wilmington, Delaware. Following Incumbent mayor Mike Purzycki's decision to not seek re-election, then-Governor John Carney and former Delaware treasurer and Wilmington treasurer Velda Jones-Potter ran for the Democratic nomination. On September 10, 2024, Carney defeated in the primary Jones-Potter by 743 votes. Carney ran unopposed in the general election, with his victory he became the first sitting governor ever to be elected a mayor.
Background
{{Main article|2020 Wilmington mayoral election}}
In 2020, following a competitive primary incumbent Democratic Mike Purzycki won the democratic nomination.{{Cite web |last=Eichmann |first=Mark |last2=Read |first2=Zoë |date=September 15, 2020 |title=Wilmington Mayor Purzycki wins second term; Julianne Murray will face Gov. Carney |url=https://whyy.org/articles/wilmington-mayor-purzycki-wins-second-term-julianne-murray-will-face-gov-carney/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=WHYY-TV |language=en-US}} He was uncontested in the general election winning re-election to a second term.{{Cite news |date=2020-11-03 |title=Delaware Election Results |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-delaware.html |access-date=2025-03-26 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=February 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217232032/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-delaware.html |url-status=live }}
Candidates
- John Carney, incumbent Governor (2017–2025) and former U.S. Representative from Delaware's at-large congressional district (2011–2017){{cite web |last1=Fries |first1=Amanda |last2=Newman |first2=Meredith |date=October 4, 2023 |title=Carney expresses interest in Wilmington mayor after Purzycki announces he won't run in 2024 |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2023/10/04/wilmington-mayor-mike-purzycki-wont-run-for-re-election-2024/71060994007/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005185433/https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2023/10/04/wilmington-mayor-mike-purzycki-wont-run-for-re-election-2024/71060994007/ |archive-date=October 5, 2023 |access-date=October 4, 2023 |website=The News Journal}}
- Velda Jones-Potter, former Wilmington City Treasurer (2017–2021), former Delaware State Treasurer (2009–2011), and unsuccessful mayoral candidate in 2020
Democratic primary
Purzycki had considered running for another term. However on October 3, 2023, Purzycki revealed that he would not be seeking a third term citing his age and a desire to spend time with his family. Incumbent Governor of Delaware, John Carney was unable to seek re-election due to term limits, decided to enter the race.{{Cite web |last=Barrish |first=Cris |date=October 4, 2023 |title=Delaware Gov. Carney says he’s ‘seriously considering’ running for mayor of Wilmington |url=https://whyy.org/articles/wilmington-mayor-mike-purzcyki-third-term-delaware-elections-2024/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=WHYY-TV |language=en-US}} Velda Jones-Potter former treasure of Wilmington and the state of Delaware. Jones-Potter had previously challenged Purzycki for the nomination in 2020.
On August 9, Carney and Jones-Potter participated in a public forum debate. Issues included education, quality of life, and job creation.{{Cite web |last=Mueller |first=Sarah |date=August 9, 2024 |title=Outgoing Delaware governor competes in Wilmington mayoral election forum |url=https://whyy.org/articles/wilmington-mayoral-candidates-debate-forum-carney-jones-potter/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=WHYY-TV |language=en-US}}
=Results=
The primary was held on September 10, 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-29 |title=Delaware's governor filing to run for mayor of the City of Wilmington |url=https://6abc.com/john-carney-formally-submitted-paperwork-to-launch-a-bid-be-mayor-of-wilmington-where-he-and-his-wife-have-lived-for-nearly-40-years/14743033/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=WPVI-TV |language=en}} Carney received 5,308 winning over 53 percent of the vote. He defeated Jones-Potter by 743 votes.{{cite web |title=2024 Primary Election Report |url=https://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/index.shtml?electionId=PR2024 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |website=Delaware Department of Elections |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211225142/https://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/index.shtml?electionId=PR2024 |url-status=live }}{{Election box begin no change|title=Democratic primary results}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=John Carney|votes=5,308|percentage=53.76%}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Velda Jones-Potter|votes=4,565|percentage=46.24%}}
{{Election box total no change|votes=9,873|percentage=100.00%}}{{Election box end}}
General election
Due to the Democratic party's dominance over both the state and Wilmington, the Republican Party did not run a candidate.{{Cite web |last=Barrish |first=Cris |date=November 8, 2024 |title=Delaware GOP, shut out again in statewide races, grapples for ways to regain relevance |url=https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-republicans-2024-election/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=WHYY-TV |language=en-US}} The News Journal's Anitra Johnson noted that, with the exception of City Council seats, most candidates in Wilmington ran unopposed.{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Anitra |title=Delaware Election 2024: Results of the Wilmington City Council races |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/05/delaware-election-2024-live-results-wilmington-city-council-race/75969768007/ |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=The News Journal |language=en-US}}
The election was held on November 5, 2024, since no other candidates ran in the general election, Carney won the election unopposed. With his victory he became the first sitting governor to be elected to a mayor seat.{{Cite news |last=Hassan |first=Adeel Hassan |date=October 31, 2024 |title=Why a Governor Is Stepping Down, and Running for Mayor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/31/us/john-carney-delaware-governor-mayor.html |access-date=March 26, 2025 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=November 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110114657/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/31/us/john-carney-delaware-governor-mayor.html |url-status=live }}{{Election box begin no change
| title = Wilmington mayoral election, 2024{{cite web|url=https://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/index.shtml?electionId=GE2024|title=2024 General Election Report|access-date=November 13, 2024|archive-date=November 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113155542/https://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/index.shtml?electionId=GE2024|url-status=live}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (US)
| candidate = John Carney
| votes = 24,191
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 24,191
| percentage = 100.00%
}}
{{Election box end}}
= Aftermath =
On November 27 Carney announced he would be reappointing the incumbent chiefs of the fire and police departments.{{Cite web |last=Fries |first=Amanda |title=Wilmington Mayor-elect John Carney reappoints police, fire chiefs to leadership roles |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2024/12/02/why-incoming-wilmington-mayor-is-keeping-police-fire-chiefs/76701857007/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=The News Journal |language=en-US}} Carney was sworn in as mayor on January 7, 2025.{{Cite web |date=January 8, 2025 |title=John Carney Sworn in as the 58th Mayor of the City of Wilmington |url=https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/Home/Components/News/News/7184/225 |access-date=March 26, 2025 |website=WilmingtonDE.gov}}
References
{{reflist}}
Extra Links
- [https://johncarney.org/ John Carney (D) for Mayor]
{{2024 United States elections}}
{{Delaware elections}}